


How long does it take to fall in love?

by AtPK



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Asshole!OMCs, Gavin Reed-centric, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Saviour!Gavin, Victim!Connor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 11:30:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18180038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtPK/pseuds/AtPK
Summary: Gavin is about to find out.(Gavin’s old team from vice turn up at the DPD to assist with a case involving a new experimental drug. Connor falls victim to their unhealthy appetite. Gavin steps up to help and ends up in a whole world of trouble.)





	How long does it take to fall in love?

There was a commotion in reception and Gavin looked up to see what was happening, eager for some excitement to break up the absolute boredom of trawling through phone records.

He expected it’d be a drunk or druggy, but it was neither. It was Montgomery and his pack of pussies.

Gavin hadn’t seen them since his time in vice; and it was still too soon. Montgomerylooked over and caught his eye. Gavin swore and turned back to the phone records.

“Gavin,” Montgomery roared, sauntering across the bullpen to pummel Gavin’s arm, in what would have appeared to be a friendly gesture, but wasn’t. Gavin thumped him back.

“Price,”

The others collected around him, leaning back against desks or walls, arms crossed.

“So, this is where you ran off to.” Montgomery laughed. Gavin wasn’t going to play along.

“What’re doing here?”

Montgomery stared at him, and Gavin refused to look away first. Montgomery laughed again and shook his head.

“We’ve been asked to help out with a homicide case. According to reports, there’s a new drug flooding the market.”

Gavin’d heard the talk around the precinct; this drug was nasty, it killed people.

“We’ll be here for a while.” Montgomery leaned in closer. “Plenty of time for us to catch up.”

Not if Gavin had anything to do with it.

—

Gavin found himself keeping an eye on them, despite himself. They were professional and polite to everyone that mattered; Lewis, Fowler, Anderson, but Gavin knew better.

He saw the way they watched the android, the way they laughed and pointed and made lewd comments to each other. He saw the way the android ignored them, it’s LED cycling to yellow before returning to blue.

They didn’t care that Gavin saw them surround it, when the bullpen was quiet and no one apart from Gavin was there, not letting it pass, shoving it between them, mocking it; they didn’t care because Gavin’d seen them do far worse to other androids in the past.

As long as Anderson was around, they wouldn’t dare do any real damage to it; and it really wasn’t Gavin’s problem anyway.

—

“You’re going on holiday?” Gavin asked.

“Yep, two weeks of not having to look at your ugly face.” Anderson replied.

“You’re leaving the android here?”

“What’d you think?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Connor can take care of himself.”

“You sure about that?”

“What exactly are you implying? If you so much as look at him funny while I’m away, I’ll be having words with you when I’m back.”

“It’s not me you need to worry about.”

—

Two nights later, and he watched Montgomery follow the android down the stairs to the evidence locker; his posse of pussies joining him a few steps behind.

“Fuck,”

No one else noticed.

Gavin kept an eye on the clock. Ten minutes. Half an hour. An hour and twenty five minutes.

“For fuck sake,”

He heard them before he saw them, their crude laughter making him want to punch something. Montgomery looked flushed, like he’d worked up some kind of sweat, and Gavin clenched his fist, his nails biting into his palm.

“In case you’re interested.” Montgomery said from behind his left shoulder. “It hardly put up any kind of fight.”

Gavin didn’t see the android again that evening.

—

The next time Gavin saw the android, it’s LED was cycling a permanent yellow. It looked the same as ever but it seemed more conscious of it’s surroundings; wary. While there were people in the building, it got on with it’s business, doing whatever it was it did. Once the precinct began to clear out, however, it became more guarded; tense. It’s LED cycled to red. 

Gavin stood up and reached for his jacket on the back of his chair, pulling it on as he made his way to the exit. This wasn’t his problem. The android belonged to Anderson, and Anderson had gone and left it here. It wasn’t his fucking problem.

The android stood up as he passed it.

“Detective Reed?”

Gavin paused.

Montgomery appeared out of nowhere, blocking Gavin’s exit.

“Gavin.”

“I was just leaving.”

“By all means.”

Montgomery took a step to the side to let him pass.

“Detective Reed,” the android said again, moving forward as if to follow Gavin. They blocked it’s way.

“Not you,” Montgomery murmured. “You’re staying here.”

Gavin kept walking.

He reached the parking lot and paused, spinning around to go back, paused again and turned back to his car.

It wasn’t his responsibility.

His phone pinged in his pocket, one two three four five times. He pulled it out and called up the messages.

 _Detective_ _Reed_.

 _Help_ _me_.

 _Please_.

 _I_ _am_ _afraid_.

 _Please_. _Help_ _me_.

“Shitting, fucking hell.”

Gavin kicked a rock and listened to it skitter away in the darkness. He pulled out his gun and checked the clip, before heading back into the precinct.

The bullpen was quiet, so he moved on to the interview rooms, and heard them, theiramused voices and laughter muffled by the closed door.

His phone pinged again.

Gavin breathed out through his mouth and opened the door.

“Okay, fellas, the party’s over. Step away from the android.”

He deliberately kept his gaze locked in Montgomery’s, trying not to see anything else that was happening.

“Unless you’re here to join us, Gavin, I suggest you leave.”

“Seeing as I’m the one with my gun pointed at your dick, I suggest you step away from the android.”

Montgomery laughed, and grabbed the android by the hair, pulling it’s head up.

“You sure you don’t want to join us?” Montgomery asked. “It’s mouth really is quite satisfying.”

Gavin could see the cum on it’s face and the look in it’s eyes.

His phone pinged again.

The others fanned out around him, and he trailed his gun on each of them in turn, before returning it back to Montgomery.

Montgomery stared at him, and he stared back.

The standoff lasted for no more than a few seconds, but felt like an eternity.

“You little shit.” Montgomery eventually grinned at him and then laughed, stepping away from the android, and tucking his dick back into his pants. The android, without the grip on it’s hips holding it up, collapsed forward.

He was outnumbered.

One word from Montgomery and he’d be in a whole world of pain, and they all knew it.

Montgomery stopped in front of him, and looked down at him. Gavin pointed his gun at Montgomery’s face.

“You’ve got some cahunas, I’ll give you that.”

“Just leave.”

Montgomery shrugged.

“Okay, sure. Why not?”

He motioned for the others to follow him as he headed for the door.

“But this isn’t over.”

—

The android actually flinched when he stepped closer, and he paused, not sure what to do. 

“Connor,” he said. “We need to get you out of here. Do you understand?”

It looked at him.

“Yes, Detective Reed.”

“Do you need help?”

“I don’t know.”

It’s voice was grating and Gavin didn’t like to think about why that would be. The android’s usually pristine jacket was missing, it’s shirt was ripped and it’s tie was still around it’s neck but more like a leash or a noose.

Gavin took off his own jacket and draped it over the android’s shoulders.

“C’mon, get up.”

The android didn’t move.

“Connor, do you want my help?”

“Yes, Detective Reed.”

Gavin slipped his arm under it’s shoulders and lifted it up.

“My car’s outside.”

Montgomery and the others were lounging around the bullpen, feet up on desks, they watched Gavin walk the android through and out of the precinct, without saying a word.

“In you go.” He said, opening the back door of the car and helping the android slide onto the seat.

Gavin literally had no fucking idea what he was doing.

He glanced in the rear view mirror at the android sitting on the backseat of his car; it’s LED flashing red in the darkness.

—

“Connor, look at me,” the android continued to stare at nothing at all. “Look at me.” He said again and this time it did; eyes focusing slowly on his face. “You’re at my place.” The android looked around itself, and tugged Gavin’s jacket tighter around it’s body. “You’re safe here.” Once again, the android stared at him with questions and uncertainty. “The bathroom’s through there, why don’t you go and clean up?”

It was only when he heard the shower begin to run that he truly let himself freak out.

“Oh, fuck.” He moaned, and banged his head on the nearest door jamb. “What the fuck have I done?”

Montgomery wasn’t going to forget this, and Gavin knew for a fact that the last person that’d stood up to that asshole, had ‘disappeared under mysterious circumstances’.

“Fuck.”

Clothes.

The android would need clothes.

Gavin busied himself rummaging through his dresser, in the end pulling out a pair of old sweats and a hoodie.

“Connor,” he knocked on the bathroom door. There was no answer. “There are some clothes out here for you, okay?”

Again, he got no answer. He went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, before heading into the bedroom. His latest case files were open on the bed, papers scattered everywhere and he moved them aside to sit down.

His phone pinged.

 _Detective_ _Reed_?

He frowned and then jumped as he spotted the android standing in his doorway.

“Connor, do you feel better?”

The android nodded.

“Good.”

It seemed the android had given up talking for the time being, one of any number of signs of trauma.

His phone pinged again.

 _Can_ _I_ _be_ _with_ _you_ _tonight_?

Gavin thought about that for a moment.

“Do you mean you want to sleep in here with me tonight?”

The android nodded.

He’d done the course on sexual assault victims, and knew that he’d have to be very careful how he handled this situation. If he turned the android away, and left it alone to deal with what had happened to it, that could have disastrous consequences. If he let it stay, he’d have to make damn sure he didn’t do anything to fuck it up even more.

“Okay,” He said and stood up to move the files off the bed entirely. “C’mon then.”

At first it didn’t move but when Gavin pulled back the covers, it stepped forward, took the few steps to the bed, and slid beneath the the sheets.

It was then that the cat decided to make an appearance, jumping up onto the bed beside the android; she purred and Gavin reached to shoo her off, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. The android was staring at the cat.

“Okay,” Gavin said again. He sat down heavily on the end of his bed, and put his head in his hands.

—

He bolted up out of sleep, fumbling for his gun on the bedside table, but his hand groped at thin air and it took him a moment to realise he was on the sofa.

The noises - moaning, whimpering - from the bedroom, were all he needed to remember why. His back cricked when he stood up, and he massaged the muscle as he made his way into the bedroom.

The android wasn’t awake.

It’s fingers gripped the bed sheet, LED cycling fast one moment, and slow the next. It moaned again.

Gavin walked over.

“Connor,” he said. “It’s okay.”

Gavin knew what it was like to wake up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat, fighting with the covers to escape.

“It’s okay. You’re safe.”

The android’s features softened slightly, and it’s grip loosened on the sheets.

“You’re safe.”

Just why the fuck they needed to make these things act so fucking human, he’d never know.

—

The android still wasn’t awake when his alarm went off, and Gavin had no intention of waking it up. The thought of having to put up with Montgomery and his goons made his head throb and not even the shower helped the tension in his muscles.

He was running the towel over his hair, not looking where he was going, when he almost bumped into the android standing in the middle of his living room. The brief thought of putting a bell on it flashed into his mind, before he squashed it back down.

“What’re you doing, Connor?”

The android continued to look around, it’s LED cycling.

“Connor?”

His phone pinged.

 _I_ _have_ _work_ _to_ _do_.

Gavin shook his head.

“After what happened last night, you’re not walking back into the precinct.”

The android stared at him, and Gavin thought it was going to argue but then it looked away again.

“I can pick up your case files.”

His phone pinged.

He glanced down and saw a list of file numbers.

“Okay.” Gavin said, reaching over to flick on the coffee machine. “You stay here.”

The android continued to study his apartment, silent and still, like a fucking statue, in the middle of his living room.

And it was still standing there when Gavin got home later that evening.

“Connor,”

The android flinched.

His phone pinged.

 _Do_ _you_ _have_ _my_ _case_ _files_?

“I do.” He handed them over, and the android took them.

 _Thank_ _you_ , _Detective_ _Reed_.

Gavin nodded and headed into the bathroom, wondering if androids went into some kind of standby mode when they weren’t in use.

He was only mildly surprised that the android had moved from middle of the room to the breakfast bar, and was perched on one of the stools, files open in front of it.

“You alright there, Connor?”

 _Yes_ , _Detective_ _Reed_.

“Okay.”

He fell back onto the sofa, stretching his legs out in front of him; the TV came on automatically, blaring out the latest headlines, and he pulled out his phone, skimming through his notifications. The cat jumped up onto his lap and he pushing her back off; she purrumphed at him and then padded off towards the android.

It was easy to forget that he wasn’t alone, and when he did eventually look up again, he was alone.

Gavin sat up and looked around- where’d it go?

A quick glance into the bedroom found both the android and the cat curled up in his bed.

—

Gavin knew that the only reason Montgomery had left him alone so far was because he was playing with him, keeping him on edge; the threats disguised as buddy-buddy comments, the cups of coffee delivered to his desk, just so they could spit in it and knock it over his paperwork.

Montgomery was pissed as hell that Gavin has dared to stand up to him, and was just biding his time.

When he got home, his apartment felt different; at first he couldn’t put his finger on why, and then he spotted it. The plates, knives, forks that had been on the draining board, were gone; the piles of unopened letters and junk mail, were gone; the dust bunnies that had been gathering in the corners, were gone.

Gavin threw his jacket over the arm of the sofa and looked at the android, sitting quietly, trailing a piece of string from it’s fingers, watching the cat jump and tumble and roll around at it’s feet.

“You didn’t have to tidy the place.” Gavin said. “If I’d wanted a fucking housemaid, I would’ve brought one.”

The android’s LED which had been cycling somewhere between yellow and red, hit red, and stayed there. Gavin huffed and stomped into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He didn’t know why he was so angry, it’s not like the android had done anything wrong, but why the fuck had it felt compelled to clean the fucking place.

“You don’t owe me anything, Connor.”

He shouted through the closed door, before flumping face down on the bed.

His phone pinged.

 _How_ _much_ _longer_ _do_ _I_ _have_ _to_ _stay_ _here_?

 _I’m_ _not_ _keeping_ _you_ _prisoner_. _You_ _can_ _leave_ _anytime_ _you_ _want_.

Silence.

Gavin huffed again and stood back up; he composed his breathing and then opened the door. The android was still sitting on the sofa, hands crossed on it’s lap.

“Look,” Gavin started. “This is just till Anderson gets back, okay? Then you’re back to being his responsibility.”

 _When_ _is_ _Hank_ _back_?

Gavin glanced at the calendar on the fridge.

“Six days and counting.”

And, as far as he was concerned, it couldn’t come soon enough.

“Let’s just agree on something,” The android stared at him. “You do your thing, and I’ll do my thing; and we’ll just be a guy and an android in a flat, with a fucking cat.”

The android didn’t respond.

It was only later, once he’d calmed down, that he really felt like shit. It wasn’t the android’s fault Montgomery was breathing down his neck. In future, he’d have to try harder not to take his anger out on it.

—

The next morning, he left more clothes out for the android, leaving them on the end of the bed where they could easily be seen. When he got home, the android was curled up on the sofa, wearing one of his old band t-shirts and jeans.

It wasn’t awake.

Gavin glanced around and was pleased to see all his mess was exactly where he’d left it. He paused and then sat down next to the android, leaving as much space between them as possible. The TV came on and Gavin rested his head back and closed his eyes.

The smell of fresh coffee woke him up, and he reached for the cup being handed to him.

“Thanks,”

 _You’re_ _welcome_ , _Detective_ _Reed_.

Gavin watched it return to the breakfast bar, and the paperwork scattered all over the surface. He stood up and walked over.

“D’you want me to pick anything else up for you?”

His phone pinged.

 _I_ _need_ _thirium_.

“What’s thirium?”

Gavin had meant he’d be happy to pick up more case files, and he didn’t have a clue what the android was asking for.

 _You_ _might_ _call_ _it_ _blue_ _blood_.

“Right,”

Blue blood.

He’d just pop down to the grocery store then.

“And where would I find that, exactly?”

_Jericho_

“Right.” Gavin said again.

—

His day had started off bad, and then got worse. If his run in with Montgomery, earlier, in the bathroom, hadn’t been bad enough, he now had to put up this glorified doorman.

“Listen up,” Gavin said, trying to keep his cool. “I’ve told you already. I’m here to pick up thirium,”

“And I’ve told you already. Human’s are not allowed inside Jericho.”

Gavin nodded, and shook his head, briefly regretting that he hadn’t insisted the android get off it’s ass and get it’s own fucking blue blood, but then he remembered the look in it’s eyes when Gavin has suggested that it left the apartment. For all it’s talk of wanting to leave, it was scared to go.

Sighing, he changed tack.

“D’you know Connor?” The android doorman stared at him, without the slightly indication if it knew Connor or not. “It’s for Connor.”

The LED on it’s temple spun quickly, and then another android stepped out of a doorway and headed straight for them.

“Detective Reed.” It didn’t wait for his response. “I’m Simon. Please come with me.”

It seemed he’d finally said the magic word.

He was led to a room, with only a table and no chairs.

“You know where Connor is,” the android said. “I’d like you to tell me.”

“Yeah, and I’d like you to give me some thirium, so I can get the fuck outta here.”

The android smiled at him, fake condescension.

“Connor has been disconnected from the network, Detective, do you know what that means?”

“I haven’t the foggiest.”

“It means that he’s either disconnected himself, or has been forcibly disconnected.”

“You think I’ve disconnected it from this network?” Gavin laughed. “I didn’t even know what fucking thirium was till last night, and you think I’m some kinda fucking whiz in robotics.”

The android wasn’t smiling anymore.

“Connor has told us about your “dislike” for him.”

Gavin laughed again, not believing what he was hearing.

“I haven’t kidnapped your fucking android. It was in a shitty situation and I took it out of that shitty situation, that’s all there is to it.”

“He.”

“What?”

“Connor is a he, not an it.”

“Tomayto, tomahto.”

They glared at each other.

“Okay, y’know what, why don’t you ask him yourself.”

“I would if I could, but he’s been disconnected from the network.”

Gavin pulled out his phone and opened up his messages, only remembering when he was about to press call, that it wouldn’t do any good. Gavin looked back at the android across the table.

“I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I said Connor’s actually stopped speaking.”

“How convenient.” The android slit it’s eyes at him. Gavin returned his attention to his phone, furiously typing.

 _Connor_ , _I’m_ _at_ _Jericho_ , _and_ _this_ _douchbag_ , _Simon_ , _seems_ _to_ _think_ _I’ve_ _disconnected_ _you_   _from_ _some_ _fucking_ ‘ _network_ ’, _taped_ _your_ _mouth_ _shut_ _and_ _got_ _you_ _locked_ _in_ _my_ _fucking_ _basement_. _A_ _little_ _help_ _would_ _be_ _great_ _right_ _about_ _now_.

Almost the instant he pressed send, the android’s LED began to spin. After a time, it looked back at Gavin.

“It seems you’re telling the truth, Detective Reed.”

“Imagine that.” He huffed back.

Gavin left Jericho shortly after with the requested thirium, and a desire never to return.

—

Gavin handed over the blue blood, and was handed a folder in return. He flicked it open, and stared at the detailed reports of his own case files, the ones that had previously been scattered over his bed.

“Why did you do this?”

 _Because_ _I_ _wanted_ _to_.

Gavin continued to look at the analysis, knowing that it would have taken him many more sleepless nights to reach this point.

I _wanted_ to

I am _afraid_

“Thank you, Connor.”

Connor is a _he_ , not an it.

—

There was a cup of coffee on the breakfast bar, ready to go, and Connor was sitting cross legged on the sofa, looking at a data pad.

“Thanks,” He said. “For the coffee.”

Connor looked up and smiled at him.

“I’m off then.”

 _Have_ _a_ _good_ _day_ , _Detective_ _Reed_.

And it was a good day, until it came time to head home. It was dark, sleeting, and Montgomery was leaning on the hood of his car. He didn’t look up from whatever it was he was looking at on his phone, until Gavin was almost directly in front of him.

“You gonna move, and let me in my car?”

“Oh, is this your car?” Montgomery feigning surprise. “I don’t think we realised that, did we boys?”

Gavin’s jaw clenched.

“We were just recalling how much fun we had with the DPDs finest plastic detective.” Montgomery turned the phone towards Gavin so he could see what was on the screen. Connor looking up at the camera, while being fucked in the mouth.

Montgomery switched the sound up, and now Gavin could hear Connor’s moans and whimpers.

They’d videoed it.

Gavin’s mind flashed on the memory of Connor, from that morning, smiling at him; of Connor, from the night before, curled up in his bed, looking for all the world to be asleep; of Connor, from everyday, sitting at the breakfast table, silent and dignified, writing reports; and they’d reduced Connor to nothing.

“It really was impressive just how much that ‘droid could take at once.”

There was a rumble of laugher around him.

Without thinking about what he was doing, Gavin punched Montgomery, with all his strength, in the face.

The phone skittered off under his car, amplifying the noises they’d forced from Connor’s mouth.

Gavin swung for him again, but his arms were grabbed from behind, and he was punched in the stomach, kicked to the ground.

Montgomery smiled and leaned back against the hood the car to watch his men beat the living shit out of Gavin.

—

Connor looked suitably horrified.

“I’m sure it looks worse than it is.” Gavin groamed.

Connor was by his side, an arm under his shoulders, both holding him up and helping him over to the sofa.

His phone pinged- once, twice.

 _Did_ _they_ _do_ _this_?

 _Did_ _they_ _hurt_ _you_ _because_ _of_ _me_?

“No, this isn’t your fault, Connor.” He didn’t add that it was entirely his fault, for losing his temper and giving them the opportunity they’d been waiting for.

Connor didn’t look convinced.

Gavin closed his eyes, trying not to feel the number of ways he hurt; when he opened them again Connor had got the first aid kit from the bathroom.

“I’m fine, really.”

Connor helped him out of his jacket and sweater, saw the blood on his t-shirt and helped him out of that too, then sat down beside him, first aid kit open between them on the sofa. Gavin hissed when the bite of the alcohol wipe touched his face, but Connor ignored him and continued to dab at the cuts, first on his face, then on his body.

“You don’t have to do this, y’know?”

 _I_ _know_.

Connor got up and went into the kitchen, coming back with a glass of water and two aspirin, and bag of frozen peas from the freezer. Gavin swallowed the tablets both at the same time and tried not to flinch when Connor pressed the cold compress to his cheek.

The aspirin slowly eased the pain and once his body started to relax, his eyes began to drift closed. Connor remained by his side.

He was at the place, somewhere between awake and asleep, when he felt Connor’s hand on his chest, resting just above his heart, it was warm. Connor took his hand and he felt the fabric of Connor’s t-shirt, before the thump-thump, thump-thump, so similar to his own heartbeat, that for a moment he almost forgot that Connor wasn’t human.

The next time he opened his eyes, he was in bed, the lights were off and Connor was beside him. Gavin was sure Connor was awake, even though all he could see was the outline in the darkness. Connor was watching him, LED cycling yellow.

“Go to sleep, dipshit.” He murmured and Connor’s LED briefly spun to blue before returning to yellow.

—

 _Detective_ _Reed_.

 _I_ _don’t_ _think_ _this_ _is_ _advisable_.

 _You_ _are_ _hurt_

“You could try calling me Gavin. Your concern is noted. And I’m fine.” He replied, even though every muscle in his body seemed to protest and every bruise throbbed.

Connor frowned at him.

“I’m not gonna let those assholes stop me from doing my job.”

Gavin couldn’t (wouldn’t) hide away at home and let Montgomery think he’d got the better of him; even if all he did was sit at his desk guzzling aspirin all day, at least he’d prove he wasn’t afraid to show his face.

 _I’m_ _not_ _happy_ _about_ _this_.

“I know. I’ll see you later.”

Montgomery was surprised to see him, and Gavin took that small victory with pride.

“What happened to you?”

He looked up at Tina, she was pulling on her jacket, ready to head out on patrol.

“Oh, y’know, cupboard door, face.”

She looked at him the same way Connor had.

“We’re gonna talk about this later.”

It wasn’t a request, it was an order.

He felt like shit, he couldn’t concentrate, and Montgomery kept glowering at him every time he looked up.

His phone pinged.

 _Gavin_ , _did_ _you_ _know_ _that_ _big_ _dogs_ _are_ _more_ _well_ - _behaved_ _pets_. _Studies_ _show_ _bigger_ _dogs_ _usually_ _have_ _better_ _behavior_ _than_ _small_ _dogs_ , _but_ _it’s_ _not_ _because_ _they’re_ _inherently_ _better_ _animals_ ; _it’s_ _because_ _of_ _humans_. _People_ _tend_ _to_ _put_ _less_ _effort_ _into_ _the_ _discipline_ _of_ _little_ _dogs_ _because_ _they_ _assume_ _they_ _can’t_ _do_ _as_ _much_ _damage_ \- _so_ _larger_ _dogs_ _typically_ _end_ _up_ _having_ _better_ _training_.

Gavin glanced up at his console for a moment, and then back down at his phone.

“No, I did not know that, Connor. Thanks for sharing.”

It was a bonus at least that Connor had called him by his first name.

Gavin turned back to his work, throwing himself into it for the next couple of hours. He didn’t want to move from his desk, because it hurt to move, but he wanted coffee.

His phone pinged.

 _Gavin_ , _did_ _you_ _know_ _that_ _gay_ _penguins_ _steal_ _eggs_ _from_ _straight_ _couples_ _when_ _they_ _want_ _to_ _be_ _dads_. _Because_ _adult_ _males_ _are_ _the_ _ones_ _who_ _look_ _after_ _the_ _eggs_ , _it’s_ _not_ _uncommon_ _for_ _male_ _couples_ _to_ _search_ _for_ _eggs_ _so_ _they_ _can_ _be_ _fathers_. _Some_ _have_ _even_ _been_ _seen_ _trying_ _to_ _trick_ _new_ _parents_ _by_ _stealing_ _their_ _egg_ _and_ _then_ _leaving_ _a_ _rock_ _in_ _its_ _place_ _as_ _a_ _decoy_.

Gay penguins? There was such a thing as a gay penguin? Gavin pulled up his search engine and spent the next little while reading up about penguins. He completely forgot about his need for coffee.

The next time his phone pinged he felt a small jolt of anticipation to find out what new weird fact Connor was about to share with him. He didn’t know why Connor was being so chatty today, but he was very grateful for the distraction.

 _Gavin_ , _did_ _you_ _know_ _that_ _a_ _lie_ _will_ _be_ _more_ _convincing_ _if_ _you_ _have_ _to_ _pee_ _when_ _you_ _tell_ _it_. _Because_ _of_ _a_ _phenomenon_ _called_ _the_ ‘ _inhibitory_ _spillover_ _effect_ ,’ _the_ _need_ _to_ _control_ _your_ _bladder_ _also_ _forces_ _your_ _brain_ _to_ _activate_ _more_ _self_ - _control_ , _which_ _helps_ _hide_ _the_ _tells_ _you_ _have_ _when_ _fibbing_.

Gavin laughed.

“It’s a shame they don’t let you take a lie detector while taking a piss then.”

Tina had returned from patrol, and was man handling him out the exit when his phone pinged next.

Gavin pulled it out of his pocket.

 _Gavin_ , _why_ _do_ _we_ _have_ _emotions_ _like_ _fear_ , _if_ _they_ _only_ _make_ _us_ _weak_?

He stopped following Tina to the car and stared at the words of the screen.

“If I knew the answer to that one, Connor, I’d tell you.”

He really did need a drink.

The bar was busy, noise and bustle, and they took a few stools at the bar; Tina ordered, and he knocked back the bourbon in one swallow.

“So,” she said conversationally beside him. “Tell me about this cupboard door.”

“It was more like a whole kitchen full of cupboard doors, if I’m gonna be honest.”

She clenched her jaw and looked back at her drink.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed one of these days, y’know that, don’t you?”

He motioned for another double bourbon and it was put in front of him on the bar. Tina had known him since around the time he’d joined vice, and she’d seen him in far worse states than this. He glanced over at her.

“The difference is, I’m not looking for trouble this time, Ti.”

She turned on her stool to face him.

“Is it Montgomery?” She asked, not pulling any punches. “I know he was your CO back in vice, and things’ve been weird since he turned up.”

Gavin tried to shrug it off.

“You’ve been acting weird.” She persisted. “And Connor’s taken leave. He never takes leave.”

“Connor took leave?”

She looked at him incredulous.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t even notice he wasn’t here?”

Gavin shrugged again.

“He took leave three days after Montgomery turned up.” She looked at him again. “Do you know something, Gav?”

“I know lots of things, Ti.” He smiled, and she huffed.

Well, at least that explained why no one had been asking about Connor; he kicked himself for not thinking about it in the first place.

“If you do know something, you should go talk to Fowler.”

“It’s not my place to do that.”

“What d’you mean?”

This conversation had gone too far already, and he was in danger in telling her more than he should. It was Connor’s decision what to do about Montgomery. Not his.

“It’s nothing. Can we talk about something else now?”

She stared at him for a long time before she turned back to face the bar and motioned for two more drinks. And then two more, and then two more ...

His phone pinged.

 _Gavin_.

 _It’s_ _late_.

Gavin glanced over at the clock, and realised that it was a lot later than he’d intended to stay out.

 _Are_ _you_ _okay_?

 _I’m_ _worried_ _about_ _you_.

The pang of guilt at not letting Connor know where he was took him by surprise, and he swallowed down his last drink and stood up.

“Time to call it a night, sweetheart,”

He winked at Tina and she grinned at him.

“Get outta here, dumbass.”

He thought about taking the car and then decided against it. He called a taxi instead.

“Sorry, Connor, I lost track of time. I’m fine. I’m on my way back now.”

Silence and then his phone pinged.

 _Gavin_ , _did_ _you_ _know_ _that_ _a_ _human_ _sigh_ _acts_ _as_ _a_ _reset_ _button_.

Gavin smiled and leaned back in the taxi seat, closing his eyes for the duration of the ride home.

—

Connor had put a glass of water on the bedside table and two aspirin. Gavin swallowed the lot in just a few gulps. Turns out it was a bad idea to drink a shit load of bourbon, while already feeling like death. 

Connor was watching the news, another report about android rights following the revolution. Things were changing and, right now, it just made his head hurt even more.

The coffee tasted bad, the shower was too hot, and his clothes felt rough on his bruised skin. Connor looked so comfortable sitting on the sofa, stroking the cat, that Gavin really wished he could just not go into the precinct today.

Connor looked up at him.

 _How_ _are_ _you_ _feeling_   _now_ , _Gavin_?

“Like shit.”

Connor smiled and stood up, moving over to the kitchen counter. Gavin took the paper bag handed to him, and opened it to look inside. He frowned.

 _I_ _hope_ _you_ _don’t_ _mind_ , _but_ _I_ _thought_ _I_ _would_ _make_ _you_ _lunch_ _today_.

“You made me lunch?” Gavin asked, once again wrong-footed. “Why?”

He already knew the answer before it came.

 _Because_ _I_ _wanted_ _to_.

“Thank you.”

 _You’re_ _very_ _welcome_.

“I’ll see you later.”

 _Have_ _a_ _good_ _day_ , _Gavin_.

“You too.”

Things were changing and, right now, it just made his head hurt even more.

—

There’d been a break in the case Montgomery had been working on with the DPD, and they’d made a bust the night before. The interview rooms were full and there was a general buzz in the bullpen.

Gavin sat down at his desk and watched the goings on around him.

If the case was closed than Montgomery would soon be gone, and Gavin couldn’t think of a better piece of news to start his day.

His desk phone rang, and he picked it up.

“Detective Reed,”

“Gavin, hi. I have those results you asked for.”

“I’ll be right down.”

The day was a busy hot mess, and he was still on the phone, trying to get a warrant order, on his way home. He heard the beep of a message come through, and then another several beeps in quick succession, but he wasn’t able to break the call to check what Connor wanted.

Gavin was pulling into the garage when the call finally ended, with him securing the warrant, and he was able to check Connor’s messages.

 _Gavin_.

 _They’re_ _here_.

 _I_ _can’t_ _stop_ _them_.

 _They’re_ _hurting_ _me_.

 _I’m_ _scared_.

 _Gavin_.

 _Please_.

 _Where_ _are_ _you_?

 _You_ _said_ _I_ _was_ _safe_ _here_.

Gavin’s heart plummeted into his stomach and he was out of the car and running before he’d even killed the engine. The second he shoved through the front door, a gun was pressed to his head.

“Gavin,” Montgomery said. “So nice of you to finally join us. We were starting to think you didn’t give a fuck about your android after all.”

Connor was on his knees, blue blood running from his nose and lip; he was being held down by two of Montgomery’s men, arms pinning behind his back.

“Get the fuck away from him.” Gavin growled.

Montgomery, who had been running his thumb along Connor’s cut lip, stopped and looked at Gavin.

“Him?” Montgomery asked. “So it’s a him now, is it?”

Connor looked up at him too.

“Curiouser and curiouser.”

The pressure of the gun on his temple, moved him further into the room, closer to Montgomery.

“You really are an interesting one, Gavin. The android’s fun, but you? I don’t know. You keep on surprising me.”

“What can I say -?”

The gun cracked him on the head and he grunted, feeling the blood from one of his earlier cuts run down his cheek.

“You could actually have been something on my team. You were going places. You could have been amazing.”

Gavin glared at him.

“I’d rather be nothing then be like you, you sick fucking bastard.”

The gun lifted to hit him again, but Montgomery stayed it.

“They’re just fucking android’s, Gavin. Their purpose is to serve us. If we want to fuck them, we fuck them. If we want to set them alight and watch them burn, we fucking do it. They are nothing.”

Gavin held his gaze, and Montgomery laughed.

“I thought you are one of us. But no. You decide to transfer to homicide and then shack up with one of them.”

One of Montgomery’s men punched Connor, knocking him onto his side, before dragging him back up to knees again.

Gavin lunged forward to punch the asshole, but Montgomery elbowed him in the stomach, and he doubled over, gasping for breath. He was grabbed by his arms and pulled back up, held in place.

“Do you actually care about this thing, Gavin?” Montgomery asked, and nodded back to his men. Connor was forced toward, his face pressed into the carpet, as one of the men leaning forward over him, and rubbed against him.

Gavin’s phone pinged -once, twice.

“Is it begging, Gavin? Is it begging you to help it?”

Gavin tried to wrench free of the man holding him. Connor looked so scared that it broke his fucking heart. He couldn’t watch this happen. He couldn’t let this happen.

“What are you willing to do? To help it, I mean.”

Gavin looked back at Montgomery, and Montgomery smiled at him.

“What the fuck are you getting at?” Gavin snarled, but from the look in Montgomery’s eyes he could already guess the answer.

“We don’t have to have fun with the ‘droid. If you’re willing, we could always change the game a little.”

If he was willing.

Gavin felt sick.

The man behind Connor grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head back, whispering something into Connor’s ear, that made Connor cringe away.

“Leave him alone.” Gavin said.

The look in Montgomery’s eyes changed from something curious to something predatory, and he put his hand on Gavin’s shoulder, pushing him down to his knees.

Connor looked over at him, the confusion in his eyes no doubt matching what was going on Gavin head. Was he really going to let Montgomery do whatever it was he was about to do to stop them from hurting Connor?

Montgomery thumb probed at his lips, smearing the blue blood from Connor’s lips, on his.

Was he really going to do this for Connor?

He parted his lips and Montgomery’s thumb slid into his mouth, pulling it open wider.

Yes, he was.

His phone pinged - once, twice.

Gavin closed his eyes.

And it was then that all hell broke loose.

One of Montgomery’s men was thrown bodily across the room, crashing into the TV; a gun was fired; another gun was fired.Montgomery punched him, sending him crashing to the floor, and when he looked back up, Connor was standing over Montgomery gun pointed at his head, finger pressing down on the trigger.

“Connor, don’t.” Gavin called. “He’s human.”

Connor’s finger flexed on the trigger, and for a moment Gavin thought he was going to do it anyway, but then he pulled back the gun and pistol-whipped Montgomery unconscious.

Connor was breathing hard, his chest heaving, and Gavin clambered to his feet.

“It’s okay.” He said, approaching Connor carefully. “It’s okay.”

Connor turned to him, searching his face, and then lunged forward into his arms. Gavin held him.

His phone pinged.

The backed up messages:

 _Please_ , _Gavin_.

 _Help_ _me_.

And then:

 _You_ _can’t_ _let_ _them_ _do_ _this_ _to_ _you_.

 _I_ _won’t_ _let_ _them_ _do_ _this_ _to_ _you_.

And then:

 _What_ _now_?

Gavin continued to hold him.

“Now. It’s up to you, Connor. We can call the precinct, report this, go through the channels, do it by the book. Or. We do nothing.”

And it was true, if Connor chose not to report what had happened him, then Montgomery would just walk away from this with no more than a black eye.

 _I’m_ _afraid_.

“Me too. I’m not gonna lie, Connor. If we report this, it’s gonna be a shitstorm. You’ll be the first android to accuse a human of sexual assault. It’ll go all the way.”

Connor breathed in and then breathed out. They were silent for a long time.

His phone pinged.

 _I’ve_ _alerted_ _the_ _precinct_ _to_ _the_ _situation_ , _they’re_ _sending_ _officers_.

“Okay.”

—

Gavin spent most of the next day in an interview room, relaying his version of events. It helped that all phones had been confiscated at the scene, so his verbal testimony was secondary to the visual fact.

Connor hadn’t been asked for his statement yet. As Connor’s chosen next of kin, they were waiting for Anderson’s return.

“How’re you holding up?”

Connor looked up at him from where he sat at Anderson’s desk.

 _I’m_ —

— _okay_.

 _Hank_ _is_ _on_ _his_ _way_.

“Great.”

Soon, Connor wouldn’t be needing him anymore, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

—

“Connor,”

“Hank.” Connor said, aloud, with real actual words, as he was engulfed in Anderson’s arms. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“It’ll all be alright now.” Anderson reassured, and Gavin stood up.

“I’ll be off then.”

His phone pinged.

Gavin clenched his jaw.

So, it wasn’t that Connor couldn’t talk, he just didn’t want to talk to Gavin.

Gavin pursed his lips and then puffed them out.

“It’s okay, I get it. I’ll be seeing you round.”

He’d strode half way across the precinct, head down and hands in his pockets, before Connor called after him.

“Gavin, wait.”

He stopped.

“It’s only that I’ve become used to talking to you in a more intimate manner. If you would prefer that I speak to you only through verbal communication, then I will.”

Connor had known instantly what was bothering him, and that bothered him even more. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone.

_Gavin_

_Where_ _are_ _you_ _going_?

 _I_ _don’t_ _understand_.

Gavin looked back up at.

He typed: “The deal was that you’d stay at mine until Anderson got back. He’s back. That’s the end of it.”

 _But_ —

—- _I_ _don’t_ _want_ _that_.

Gavin looked at him and said: “Then what do you want, Connor?”

Connor walked straight towards him, and Gavin watched him come, not knowing what to expect, and being absolutely shocked when Connor lips pressed against his. For a moment he didn’t react, but then he sighed, and Connor’s tongue was in his mouth, stroking along his.

“Argh, Connor, of all the things I’ve seen you put in your mouth, that really takes the biscuit.”

Gavin tensed, but Connor’s finger stroked his jaw, and instead of pulling away, he brushed his own tongue over Connor’s.

“Connor, put Reed down.” Anderson huffed, and they stepped apart. Gavin stared at him not sure what to do or what to say, and being painfully aware of the precinct watching them.

“Okay,” He said. “Ah, we should talk about this ... sometime ... later.”

Gavin turned to make his exit as quickly as possible.

“Do you mean later, at home?” Connor asked, and Gavin glanced back over his shoulder; he nodded, before carrying on out into the rain.

He was hot and the cold outside made him feel a little less bothered.

Once again, he had no idea what he was doing, but this time, he wasn’t scared to find out where it would lead.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments if you enjoyed reading. I live for comments <3


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